Spotlight
by 4amomentiamking
Summary: As POTUS, Olivia has a lot on her plate. She finds herself struggling to maintain her marriage, her children, and the antics of one of her closest friends.
1. Olivia

_*This story is told from the third-person perspective of three characters: Olivia, Gage, and Fitz. This completed story will be updated weekly with three chapters at a time.*_

 _Olivia_

"Madam president." The young woman standing at the podium fought to keep from rolling her eyes as yet another reporter shouted at her. With the way the reporters were acting, someone might think a top government secret was about to be spilled - not her nod to become the director of the FBI.

"Yes?" Olivia sighed, turning toward the elderly reporter with fading, brown hair. The woman stood from her seat, straightening her lavender pant suit. Olivia had to give her due recognition for attempting that look. It was bold, that was for sure.

"You still haven't named your bid for director." The statement defied the friendly glint in the woman's eyes and Olivia fought hard to refrain from frowning - her mood instantly souring at the woman's words. Cyrus would find some creative way to torture her if she was caught frowning on camera and there were definitely enough cameras in the room to catch any frown that might cross her face.

Mustering a smile, Olivia glanced behind her. She had been hoping that Gage would have at least decided to show her face on time for once. The woman was terrible with schedules. As Olivia thought, she decided that Gage was terrible with a lot of things. Social skills, arriving on time, relationships. At least she was a hard, dedicated worker and displayed some amazing skills in the Bureau.

As Olivia tried to think of a way to stall the media, the reporters in the room had all turned to face the president, expectant looks on their faces. Olivia chewed on her bottom lip, a nervous habit that Cyrus hated, as she tried to think of something to say. Anything. She couldn't very well say:

" _My nominee for Bureau Director hasn't decided to show just yet. I'm sure she'll be here, though."_

That was sure to raise questions. Questions that she didn't need. Every move, every decision had been critiqued since she had become president. She blamed most of it on being the first woman to hold the office. No one knew how to react to her and a fair few were wishing her failure. _This_ was not going to go over well in the papers.

Darting her eyes throughout the room, Olivia gripped the podium, her fingers turning white, as she noticed a reporter slowly stumble forward. No one else seemed to notice their colleague's misplaced footing. They were too busy making sure the cameras they were manning were accurately feeding the live footage back to whatever station they worked. Narrowing her eyes, she almost snorted as she noticed the trademark black and white Chuck Taylors. Too relieved to react to Gage's whitewashed jeans and plaid shirt, hadn't she told the woman to wear dress clothes?, Olivia shifted her body to the left and gestured toward Gage.

"My nominee for Bureau Director is Gage Adlee." Gage began her ascent up the steps toward the podium, stumbling on the first step and giving a cheeky smile as she regained her footing. Edging toward Olivia, she ignored the president's outstretched hand and wrapped her arm around the taller woman's shoulders. Olivia sighed as she forced a smile for the cameras that were suddenly flashing all around, rendering both women temporarily blind.

" _What a lovely image for tomorrow's front covers,"_ Olivia thought bitterly to herself. Glaring discreetly at the redhead, Olivia shrugged Gage's arm from her shoulders and took a small step toward the right, putting more space between the two.

"Madam President, why her?" That was a good question. Olivia racked her brain for the answer as the buzz in the room quieted. She had made a solid list of the pros and cons to promoting Gage before she had made the decision. Of course the biggest con, aside from Gage's unpredictable behavior, had been that the two were best friends from childhood. A con Cyrus was already working to wayside when the media reported the news.

"Do you _not_ think I'm qualified?" Olivia was vaguely aware of Gage demanding an answer from the reporter. Chuckling nervously, Olivia stepped toward the podium. There was no way this exchange was going to end well. Gage was defensive when it came to anyone questioning how or why she was in the position she was in.

"I am far more qualified than you ever hope to be." Olivia groaned, making a mental note to never allow Gage in front of the press again. She would make the woman hire a personal press secretary. Stepping closer to Gage, Olivia grasped her forearm and leaned toward her.

"He didn't mean it like that, Gage. Apologize," Olivia forced the harsh whisper from barely moving lips as she smiled gently toward the freckled reporter.

"I am not apologizing. He just questioned my qualifications." Olivia felt her cheeks begin to burn at Gage's whispered shout. The reporter's mouth fell open and his eyes widened at the new Bureau Director's outburst. Olivia shook her head. To think that Gage had been the top of her class during her field training.

Making a quick, split-second decision, Olivia laid her hand upon Gage's shoulder, adding a small amount of pressure, and attempted to push her toward the heavy, blue-velvet curtains behind them. That, Olivia realized too late, was a horrible decision as Gage grabbed her arm, her short fingernails digging slightly into Olivia's flesh, and twisted Olivia's arm, pinning it behind her back. The action quickly caused the Secret Service to intervene.

The two agents closest to the president rushed to her side and yanked Gage away, managing to twist Olivia's arm farther in the process. Grimacing, Olivia yanked her arm in front of her and rubbed the tender flesh. The younger of the two agents, a burly blond with dark, brooding brown eyes, shoved Gage to the ground and held her hands to her side. She was all but rendered immobile. Agent Thomas, Olivia's newly appointed Secret Service Director, came to a halt by Olivia's side, placing his hand on her upper back and bending to speak in her ear:

"Madam President, are you unharmed?"

Olivia glanced in the direction of the press as a sudden bright flash of light filled the room. All twenty-eight of the reporters were snapping photographs with their various handheld devices. Olivia shut her eyes for a moment, her head pounding at the sudden, sour turn the press conference had taken.

"Get the fucking press out of here," she snapped, rolling her shoulders as she felt the tension beginning to build, "And for the love of God, the next time your agent decides to attack an assailant, make sure they're actually a fucking _threat_."

Agent Thomas gave a curt nod before moving toward the press, beginning the process of shooing them from the room. Olivia quickly went through a mental checklist of the things she and Cyrus were going to have to do in order to contain this mess. She still had some connections in the media from her time as a crisis manager for the high and mighty of Washington. Where she didn't have connections, Cyrus typically did. Somehow, they were going to have to spin this in their favor.

"Let her go," Olivia ordered the blond agent still holding Gage in place. The man tilted his head, looking at the president as if she had completely lost her mind. After an awkward, challenging stare-down with the president, he slowly stood, releasing Gage's arms. Gage, for her part, remained on the floor and stuck her tongue out at the agent causing Olivia to roll her eyes.

"Gage, I believe that you have done more than enough, thank you." Olivia crossed her arms, staring down at her friend as if she were dealing with one of her children. Sometimes, that's how she felt when it came to Gage.

"Oh really? 'Cause I could've done more," Gage smirked, finally moving to a sitting position and wrapping her arms around her knees. Olivia opened her mouth only to quickly clamp it shut. She had zero things to say to Gage that didn't involve cursing and a few choice insults.

Olivia glanced toward the doors to see that Agent Thomas had managed to shove the last of the reporters through them and down the hall, out of sight. The beige walls seemed to be closing in on her, mocking her ability to carry out her duties. What did it say about her that she couldn't even successfully get through one press conference? Lowering her gaze to the worn, starry carpet beneath her black pumps, Olivia contemplated her next move. It wouldn't do any good to fight with Gage. She would only get defensive and act out more than she already had. Running a hand through her curly hair, Olivia snapped her attention toward Gage when she started speaking:

"So…great conference, huh?" Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes toward her friend and tossed her hands in the air.

"You wouldn't know: you weren't here for most of it!"


	2. Gage

_Gage:_

Gage lifted her head from her desk, shoving her red tresses from her green eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on her surroundings. The office was new. Everyone at the Bureau was anticipating her promotion to director and that had come with a brand new, large office. Lifting her arms above her head, she leaned against the padded desk chair and yawned as she stretched. The analog clock on the wall read 4:00. She must have fallen asleep. It had been a solid three days since she had had any sleep.

Rubbing her neck, Gage glanced at the files laying haphazardly across her desk. Organization wasn't her strong suit and she was knee deep in a case at the moment. Any file with information on the recent string of murders and bombings up and down the west coast had found its way to her desk. She was still amazed that the media hadn't managed to make a connection between the recent crime activities.

Cracking her knuckles, she grabbed the file closest to her and flipped it open. It was only four. She had about twelve hours to work before she had to be at the White House for Olivia's press conference. Rolling her shoulders, she stood from her desk and sauntered toward the table across the room where she put on a pot of coffee. She hated the dark, bitter liquid and would never drink it, but the act of brewing a pot and filling the room with the rich aroma relaxed her.

Returning to her desk, Gage collapsed in the comfortable chair. She may have just gotten a healthy nap, but her body was still exhausted. Returning to her reports, she made a mental list of what she already knew about the crimes. Murders of city officials, both small and big, in three states: Washington, Oregon, and California. A string of bank robberies at small, mostly unguarded banks as well as an odd bombing here and there that had, so far, left one person dead. Agents on the west coast suspected some homegrown group that had recently formed in southern California. Gage wasn't so sure.

As her sight began to blur from reading the documents, Gage froze. Something didn't feel right. Standing from her chair, she practically ran to her windows and fumbled with the blinds, sloppily opening them.

"Damn," she mumbled, squinting in the bright, harsh winter sunlight. It definitely wasn't 4 A.M. as she had thought. That meant she was late and Olivia had probably already devised about ten different, colorful methods of punishment. Olivia might be her best friend, but that woman could be beyond uptight at times.

Running her fingers through her tangled hair, sometimes she really hated her Irish ancestry, she considered skipping the conference altogether. Nah. Olivia would definitely torture her if she did that. She glanced down at what she was wearing. Jeans, a button up and her Converse. That would have to do. She didn't have time to stop and change.

Grabbing her keys from her desk, she left her office, locking the door on the way out. She frowned at the bland hallways on her walk to the elevator. They really should consider redecorating. Maybe that was something she could look into once she was director. Pressing the elevator button, she hummed to herself as she stepped into the small, confined space. She hated elevators almost as much as she hated reporters.

"Stupid elevators," she mumbled to herself.

She froze in the parking lot, the hair on the back of her neck sticking up. It felt like someone was watching her. Sweeping the lot with her eyes, she didn't spot anyone. Not anyone that stood out, anyway. Shrugging, she was paranoid that was all, she trekked the short distance to her car.

"Damn," she sighed, staring at the useless keys in her hands. She had grabbed the wrong keys. That meant a trip _back_ to her office and another ten-fifteen minutes before she would be at the White House. She contemplated hot-wiring the vehicle, but she loved her Aston-Martin too much and despite what the movies showed, it was next to impossible to hot wire most cars without breaking the key switch.

Back in her office, she retrieved her car keys from her desk drawer. Tilting her head, she stared at the files on her desk. Half of them had looked like they were moments from tumbling off the desk when she had left earlier, now they were all stacked in the center of her desk. Maybe she had stacked them and didn't remember. Who knew? She was late and didn't have time to contemplate what had happened.

Stepping out of her office, she noticed the elevator closing on a suspicious man that she had never seen before. Yanking her cell from her pocket, she dialed a number and started barking instructions to the person on the other line. She had a bad feeling. Hanging up, she put the phone back in her pocket and headed down the stairs. She would normally stay and help search the building, but she really could not miss that conference.

On the way back to the parking lot, she had to show her id to the guy guarding the door. Every exit was sealed until proper identification could be verified thanks to her orders.

"If you catch the guy, no one talks to him before me," she ordered the bald man checking her id. He nodded before waving her through the door. Being the shoe-in for director was nice, sometimes.

* * *

" _Maybe I can just sneak…damn."_ Gage thought as she noticed Olivia's piercing gaze focused on her. Olivia sure didn't look happy. It probably had something to do with the attempt to sneak toward the podium behind all the reporters.

" _Reporters_ , _"_ Gage shuddered. Why did there have to be so many of those annoying, microphone wielding people in one place? Olivia may be good at playing the press, but Gage never was and didn't want to start now.

"My nominee for Bureau Director is Gage Adlee." Deciding that she needed to ease the tension one way or another, Gage strode up the stairs, chuckling as she tripped on the top step, and tossed her arms around Olivia's shoulders. Knowing Olivia as long as she had, Gage knew that she was pissed just from the tensing of her friend's shoulders.

"Madam president, why her?" Gage barely registered that Olivia had shrugged her arm away and taken a few steps to the side. Fury was replacing her usually cheery mood. From the moment she had first announced that she wanted to work for the FBI, she had had people question the intention. Some even downright stated that she couldn't do the job because she was a woman. Stepping toward the microphone, Gage jabbed her finger toward the reporter as she began speaking angrily to the man:

"I am far more qualified than you _ever_ hope to be." She just barely registered that Olivia was whispering something in her ear, but she had no clue what the words were. She was too worked up over the line of questioning. Olivia always made sound choices. Why would anyone think that the president hadn't looked at the decision to promote Gage at every angle? Analyzed her qualifications and what she would bring to the table?

"I am not apologizing," Gage ground out between clenched teeth. No doubt that was what Olivia had requested. It would help save a little face. After a few more words with the reporter, Olivia attempted to shove Gage behind the curtain. Not thinking about the consequences of such an action, Gage twisted out of Olivia's grasp and held the taller woman's hand behind her back. It was a quick and fluid move - the two had wrestled with one another many times when they were children.

" _Ouch,"_ Gage groaned as a burly, probably couldn't put his pants on without help, agent knocked her to the side and held her hands down. Great. Olivia's dogs couldn't tell the difference between a threat and a friendly, I'm stronger than you so get off me moment. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Gage watched as Olivia snapped orders at some older gentleman in a crisp suit. That guy obviously took his job way too seriously.

Gage ignored what Olivia had to say as blondie finally decided to release her. Rolling over onto her butt, she wrapped her knees to her chest. Thank God they were alone in the room. Really, Olivia should have started the whole thing out without any reporters. Gage would have been happier.

"Great conference, eh?" Gage wondered, tilting her head and smirking at Olivia. She pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter as Olivia spun on her heel, giving Gage her, "I'm about to launch into an extra long lecture" look.


	3. Fitz

_Fitz:_

Fitz glanced toward the door, his phone balanced on his crossed leg, as the office door opened and slammed shut. Olivia stomped into the room, a storm brewing behind her eyes. Fitz grimaced, knowing exactly why his wife was upset. Hell, the whole country could probably guess why the president was upset. Grabbing his phone and tossing it on the cushion beside him, Fitz uncrossed his legs and scooted toward the edge of his seat, poised to stand and offer Olivia some consolidation once she was finished with her phone call.

"You never have been in her corner, Cass." Olivia was speaking to her vice-president. Cassandra Hartz, the former governor of Texas, was a staunch Republican to Olivia's own Democratic roots. It had come as a shock when the two had joined forces on the same ticket. After all, it was almost unheard of for the president and vice-president to come from two separate political parties. It had worked to their advantage, though, and had helped solidify Olivia's running platform of bipartisanship.

Fitz had to chuckle at that. It still seemed somewhat surreal that his wife was president. Not that he didn't think she couldn't do it. He had always known she had it in her. Everyone assumed that he would be the one to run, though. He came from a political dynasty after all. He was supposed to have the political ambitions. To follow in his father and uncle's footsteps, both men having taken their turn in the Oval. It was a life he had never wanted and he was more than happy to allow his darling wife to step into his family's spotlight. Using the Grant name during her campaign certainly hadn't hurt her. A lot of staunch republicans had abandoned ship to vote for her just because she was the daughter-in-law of one of their most revered former Commander-in-Chiefs.

"Fitz?" He stood at the soft call of his name, watching as Olivia leaned heavily against her desk.

"Yes?" he questioned, edging toward his wife.

"Did you get the kids' report cards?" Alright. Deflection. She didn't want to talk about that conference. He watched as she tossed her BlackBerry on her desk. She hated the phone. Hated how clunky it looked and missed the sleekness of her iPhone, but her team had decided that she needed a phone that could boast a next to impossible to break security system.

"Peyton got straight A's. Colton is struggling in history."

"History?" She frowned.

"He says it's boring," Fitz shrugged, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest. Rubbing her back, he decided to broach the topic. Otherwise, she was going to let it fester until she was ranting and raving, plotting ways to murder Gage. "So…have you talked to Luke?"

Luke was the Press Secretary and the one Olivia would be relying on, alongside Cyrus, to help dig her out of the incoming media shit storm. The kid was young. He'd turned twenty-eight last month. If people had complained about Olivia's thirty-eight years, they definitely had complained about her Press Secretary's age. At the same time, the thing that had been a turn-off for some, had helped Olivia gain immense popularity. Age didn't factor into her appointments - experience and the ability to do the job well did.

"Before I came in here." She rested her head against Fitz's chest, his shirt wrinkling under her cheek.

"What did he say?"

"To tell the truth."

"And what _is_ the truth?" Fitz chuckled. They may be playing whatever elaborate story they had devised off as the truth, but that didn't mean it was what happened. They would be spinning this story whichever way they could and with so many strings that it would be impossible for anyone to decipher the real truth. They only wanted what would look favorable for them to be known.

"It was staged." Olivia brought her arms to rest around Fitz's waist.

"Will the public believe that?" Fitz may have sounded doubtful, but he knew that somehow, some way, Cyrus, Luke, and Olivia would pull it off. They always did.

"Let's hope," Olivia sighed, pulling away from Fitz as her secretary buzzed into the office to announce that someone was entering. Fitz smiled at Olivia's furrowed brow and twisted mouth. She was cute when she was frustrated. He gave her a quick, chaste kiss as the door was opening, pulling away just in time to see Gage saunter into the office. He noted her flowery, 'grab today by the balls', mug. She wasn't drinking coffee. Gage hated the stuff. She was probably drinking hot chocolate. White hot chocolate. Yes, she was that picky.

"Hey Fitzy," she was always a little too loud, "Glad to see you're still kicking!"

"At least I haven't had a full-blown tantrum," Fitz smirked. He didn't hate Gage. They didn't get along, but he didn't hate her. It was more of a hate/respect/tolerate relationship. Their personalities didn't mesh, but they weren't outright mean to one another. They both loved Olivia too much and respected that they each played important roles in her life. So they tolerated one another.

"Touché." Gage stood there for a minute, her eyes sliding from Fitz to Olivia and back again, settling on the small gap between the two. "Did I interrupt something?"

Olivia began to respond, but Fitz gripped her waist, dipping her low and planting a kiss on her lips before raising her to a standing position once more.

"Just that," he shrugged.

"This'll only take a sec and then you can get a room. Maybe work on improving your skill."

"Don't put the mental image of you knowing _anything_ about what skills I have in my head," Fitz shuddered, giving Gage a disgusted look.

"Trust me, I try not to think about that stuff," Gage remarked. Fitz was always a little amazed at how she managed to speak in front of everyone who wasn't him or Olivia. In front of them, Gage's southern Ohio accent always found a way of making itself known in her speech. After all, she and Olivia had lived the first eighteen years of their lives in a small, midwestern farming community.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'm leaving in a minute anyway."

Fitz could feel Olivia tense at her friend's statement. He began rubbing circles on her shoulder as she started speaking, "I need you for the statement we're releasing. Luke is on his way now."

Gage contorted her facial expressions until she looked so remorseful one would think she was attending a funeral. "I have a date."

Fitz raised his brows at that revelation: there was no way he was falling for that lie.

"You have a date?" Fitz questioned, enunciating each word slowly.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go with that." Gage was an awful liar. She laughed as she glanced nervously at the door, fidgeting with the cuticles on her short nails.

"With whom?" Olivia pressed, leaning against Fitz and placing her hands on his forearms.

Gage quickly scanned the room, frowning before her face lit up as Luke walked into the office. She grabbed his thin arm, almost making him drop his notepad, and yanked him toward her, pointing at the kid.

"Him?" Olivia questioned, no longer attempting to hide her disbelief.

"Him what?" Luke asked, raising a brow and glancing from his boss to the tiny woman gripping his arm.

"You're going on a date with Gage," Fitz informed him.

"I am? Score!" He pumped his arm, smiling cheerily and wrapping his free arm around Gage's shoulders. It wasn't a surprise when she pinched him.

"So, you see, I have to go." Once more, Gage looked like she was absolutely pained at not being able to stay any longer. She turned toward the office door, towing Luke behind her.

"Wait," Olivia began speaking, disengaging herself from her husband and stepping toward Gage, "I need him."

'Sorry about your luck, Liv, but he's my date and you're married."

Fitz laughed at Gage's joke. Okay. Sometimes she was funny. "She needs him for the statement, smartass."

"Oh," Gage looked as if the idea had just occurred to her, "Well, then, I guess you can have him!" She threw her arms up in a nonchalant shrug before shoving the man toward Olivia.

"Hey, some other time then?" Luke offered as Gage waltzed out of the office, tossing over her shoulder:

"Nah. I don't think so. Bye."

Fitz glanced at Olivia out of the corner of his eye as Gage disappeared down the hall. She had a mischievous glint in her eye that made him wonder if she was thinking what he was thinking. No doubt, Gage's punishment was closer than she would like.

"You know what, Luke? We can work on that statement later. Go ahead and go on that date." Fitz suppressed his laughter long enough for the kid to bounce out of the room, practically running down the hall in pursuit of Gage. Gage didn't do relationships and, by extension, dates. She was a one-night stand, don't bother looking for me in the morning kind of girl. Olivia had just signed off on one unique form of torture.

"How old is he?" Fitz wondered, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against Olivia's desk.

"Twenty-nine…I believe," Olivia replied, chewing mindlessly on her bottom lip.

"Hmmm. He looks younger."

"I hope Gage has fun," Olivia smirked, crossing the small space between the two and wrapping her arms around Fitz's neck. Her wish for Gage to have a good date was anything but the good wishes of a dear friend. She wanted Gage to be as uncomfortable as she had been earlier.

"I just hope Luke makes it out alive," Fitz stated, lowering his lips to Olivia's, glad that they were finally alone.


	4. Gage 2

Gage

The fiery redhead got as far as the end of the hallway before someone called her name.

"Hey Gage!"

Oh crap. The panic built up inside her as the hurried voice drew closer, fast. This couldn't be good.

Should I run? Teleport? Her eyes darted across the hall for any sign of escape. There wasn't one.

"Gage," the average height male touched her arm, "I'm glad I caught up to you."

Well damn…too late now.

"Hello…what's your name again?" Gage turned to look at the man.

"Lucas," he blinked.

"Well Luke, aren't you supposed to be writing a statement?" she questioned.

"Yes, but the president said that it could wait until tomorrow." He gestured down the hall behind him. Gage turned to look - Olivia and Fitz were staring down the hall at them. Gritting her teeth as her mind went into overdrive - if she didn't leave with Luke, they would ask questions. And she would end up spilling information that Olivia needed to know, but not now.

"Gage?" Luke interrupted her thoughts. The petite woman linked her arm with his before stating:

"My friends call me Adee. You know: last name nicknames."

"Adee. I like it," Luke grinned. Gage shrugged, pulling him down the hall:

"You're driving."

Luke chose the Hard Rock Cafe, probably because he got the idea from the shirt Gage had changed into. She actually approved of the restaurant for a first date - not too romantic, but nice enough. Gage didn't do romantic. She didn't do dates, either. Which reminded her that she really needed to think of her payback for Olivia.

She had had the waiter sit them in the back corner, by the railing. She had chosen to sit by the wall and Luke had sat across from her.

"You look tired."

Gage stopped stirring her long island tea, "It's been a long week."

"So, what do you like to do in your free time?" Luke attempted to make small talk.

Gage sighed and sat back in her seat before responding, "Luke, I'm going to be truthful. The only reason I'm here is so Olivia won't get suspicious. I have a lot of work to do and frankly, I dislike journalists."

She waited for his reaction. Luke took a long sip of his beer.

"Well, it was worth a try," he laughed, "I guess I will see you tomorrow then."

Gage saw the waiter making his way back to their table, "I'm not leaving yet."

"You said you had work to do," Luke pointed out.

"But I'm hungry."

Gage ordered chicken and Luke had a cheeseburger. She learned that he liked old movies, go figure.

"Why don't you like journalists?" Luke asked.

"Because." Gage adverted her eyes to the floor below them. That was one question she wasn't about to answer. Her past with the media was complicated. Gage's eyes came in contact with a student below. They held their gaze, so she did as well. Then the boy tapped his friend, who was sitting beside him, and pointed at her. That friend pointed which caused a few more to look and those people caused even more to look. Pretty soon, the whole restaurant was staring and getting their cellphones out. Such wondrous technology, yet so annoying.

"Well this is awkward," Luke chuckled nervously.

"Might as well get used to it, Luke."

Gage picked up her tea and gave a half wave to the bottom floor before tensing. The one person she did not want to see walked in with his camera. Luke followed her gaze.

"We had better go. We don't want the new F.B.I. Director to get caught drinking her fourth iced tea. 'Twill all be over."

And it would because of that bastard downstairs who worked for CNN. Gage stood up and pulled out a twenty but Luke beat her to it. She puffed her cheeks out.

"Do not make me argue with you."

He placed the money on the table.

"We already had this conversation," Gage whined. She had told him that he wouldn't pay because, technically, she was the one who had asked him on the date. Luke had insisted that since she didn't really mean it, he was the one who had asked her on the date.

Luke laughed and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the stairs.

"Too bad we don't have time to argue," he stated.

Gage stumbled beside him. The thing about Long Island Iced Teas was that you didn't realize you were drinking alcohol until you started to stand and by then, you had already drank too many. She stopped at the stairs; she wasn't sure she could make it down without falling. More reporters filed through the restaurant trying to interview the person who had assaulted the president.

"If we can make it down the stairs without being seen, we can go out the back way," Luke said.

Gage pulled her hair tie out and let her hair fall down, trying to create a barrier. "You're going to have to help me down the stairs."

She laughed and linked her arm with Luke's. She was starting to lose her reasoning skills, after all.


	5. Olivia 2

Olivia

"Mommy!" Peyton yelled, her dark curls dancing merrily behind her as she ran to her mother.

"Hello Peyton." Olivia scooped the little girl into her arms. Peyton wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck and squeezed slightly, giving her a hug. Olivia heard a faint click as Fitz closed the nursery door behind him.

"How was school, princess?" Fitz asked, coming up beside Olivia and kissing Peyton's cheek.

"It was really fun! Ava and I are star readers!" Peyton gave a toothy grin. Olivia smiled at her daughter: she had always had a remarkable grasp of the English language for her age.

"You and Ava aren't fighting anymore?" Fitz asked, glancing at the door when it opened to reveal Colton and Brandon, Colton's best friend.

"No, we forgave one another. She admitted that she cheated on Candy Land," Peyton stated giving an assertive nod.

"That's wonderful," Fitz commented before turning and beginning a conversation with the boys.

The boys were chatting with Fitz about their school day. Both were talking too fast for anyone to understand what they were saying. Olivia smiled slightly at the sight of Fitz with his son. Colton had just turned eleven and at 5'4, was a head taller than all of the other boys in his class. Not that that was shocking to anyone; Fitz was quite tall himself. Colton had unambiguously received Fitz's looks - chestnut hair and intelligent blue eyes. His hair always seemed to stick every which way no matter how hard their nanny, Mary, attempted to style it. Peyton, for the most part, looked identical to Olivia. Her curly, black hair fell to her shoulders and she had bright, merry blue eyes (her one gift from her daddy).

"Mommy?" Peyton asked from Olivia's arms.

"Yes sweetie?" Olivia questioned, glancing down at her.

"I saw you on the news." She giggled.

"Did you think it was funny?"

"Yes! Did you and aunt Gage plan that?"

"Not exactly."

"Oh well. It was funny."

"Peyton, dear, Ava wishes to speak with you on the telephone," Mary said, appearing in the doorway with a phone in her hand. Olivia placed Peyton on the floor and watched as she ran to Mary, eagerly reaching for the phone.

"Remember, dear, a lady does not run," Mary admonished before relinquishing the phone to Peyton, who took it and meekly left the room.

"Olivia, darling, how wonderful to see you today! Would Fitzgerald and yourself care to join me for tea?" Mary asked, grasping Olivia's hands in her warm, wrinkly ones. Mary had been Olivia's nanny when she was a child.

"Of course," Olivia responded, turning to find Fitz still speaking with the boys.

"Boys, should you not be out playing? Today is a beautiful day," Mary stated, dropping Olivia's hands and facing the boys.

"Mary, it's January."

"There's snow on the ground." Brandon was always quick to agree with Colton.

"When I was a girl, we played in harsher conditions than a light snowfall. You children are soft," Mary shook her head in bewilderment.

"That was forever ago," Colton murmured causing Brandon and Fitz to chuckle.

"Boys do your homework and then I will show you what a real snowball fight is like," Fitz offered as the boys gave one another high-fives and sat at the ebony coffee table, prepared to do their work. Fitz then came between Mary and Olivia, placing an arm around their shoulders and leading them to the adjourning drawing room where a table had been laid out. They each took a seat in the plain, wooden chairs placed strategically around the table. Mary poured their tea first from a porcelain teapot. Olivia smiled at the sight of the teapot and matching cups. They brought back memories of when she was a child being raised by her father in the American embassy in London.

Her father had been the American ambassador to Great Britain and from the time she was six months until she was five, she had known no other home than beautifully historic London. In fact, when her mother had brought her back to America, she had cried and screamed until promised that she could live in London when not attending school. She soon discovered that she loved going to school in America. Her classmates treated her like a rockstar because she was unique. She was an ambassador's daughter, travelled, and spoke with a British accent.

"Have you spoken with your father, Olivia?" Mary questioned, taking a sip of tea.

"No. Why?"

"He called yesterday and said that he had some important news to share with you."

A door opened and Ada, Olivia's personal secretary, walked in.

"Madam President, President Ito is on the phone," she informed Olivia.

Olivia nodded and excused herself before leaving for her office.


	6. Chapter 6

_Gage_

Gage slinked around the corner, pulling Luke by his arm. The chefs stopped when they spotted the duo. Gage stood up as another wave of dizziness came upon her.

"What are you doing back here?" A waitress demanded.

Gage frowned and gave an awkward wave. She didn't like being yelled at.

"Hiding from the annoying reporters." Luke said, pulling Gage through the back.

"My car is parked down the street." Luke informed Gage.

Gage turned to Luke, laughing.

"I'm not letting you drive! You're too drunk."

Gage laughed some more while throwing an arm around Luke's shoulders.

"I'm driving."

"No you're not!" He countered. Gage puffed out her cheeks.

"If I'm not driving, you're not driving."

She grabbed his keys from his hand and threw them.

"Where do you live?"

"About nine blocks away." Luke sighed.

"Closer than mine! To your house." Gage said, pointing while speeding up her pace.

"Umm...Gage?"

Gage turned to face him.

"For starters, my condo is the other way, and you threw my keys."

Gage frowned. _Well damn._

"To the White House!"

"Gage?"

"What now?"

"The White House is this way."


	7. Chapter 7

_Olivia_

Olivia followed Ada to her office where Abby, the Secretary of State, sat talking on the phone. Abby glanced up at Olivia before returning to her conversation.

"One moment, Mr. President." Abby said before she stood and held the phone out to Olivia. Olivia grabbed the phone from Abby's outstretched hand and sat in the cool leather chair behind her desk before placing the phone to her ear.

"President Grant." Olivia said by ways of introduction.

"Madam President. Good evening." President Ito greeted in his thick, Eastern accent. "I wish to congratulate you. I meant to call earlier; however, I was preoccupied with arrangements for the signing of our new trade agreement next month."

"Thank you. Nevertheless, I feel that I must remind you that Congress is still debating on ratification for the agreement and you must demonstrate that Samje is moving toward a democratic state." Olivia reminded him.

"I can assure you that we are. Next month we will hold elections for president."

"Excluding yourself." Olivia interrupted, twirling the phone cord around her finger. There was a brief pause before Ito responded.

"Why of course. You have made that stipulation quite clear in all of our negotiations."

"As long as you do not forget that. Your party is to be disbanded as well. I will not negotiate with a communist state." OIivia stated, dropping the cord and reading the note that Abby passed to her. She opened her mouth to address the issue that Abby had raised; however, Ito began speaking first.

"You may be rest assured that my party will be disbanded. I want what is best for my country."

"As do I. What do you intend to do with your...Anti-American propaganda in your country?" Olivia demanded, using Abby's words.

"Surely we can come to some form of agreement…"

"Yes we can. You can order all of it destroyed and concede that your government made all of it up as a propaganda campaign. The first statue that I demand be torn down is your nation's appalling tribute to the U.S.S. Maine." Olivia cut in.

"And once again the American integrity may not be even slightly questioned."

"Mr. President, you are not in a position to criticize me. Congress and I are both well aware that we are not the ones who are in need of this trade agreement. You are the one whose country is going through an economic slump because it has been cut off from most of the world." Olivia glanced up to notice Abby staring at her.

"Of course." Ito said, somewhat meekly.

"Very well. Do not forget that I will be sending a team out in two weeks, headed by my nominee for Ambassador. If you need anything else, you know to reach my administration. Good day, Mr. President."

Olivia waited to hear what Ito had to say before hanging up. Then she turned in her chair to face Abby.

"You probably could have been less direct." Abby stated, laying a few newspapers on Olivia's desk.

"He needed to be reminded as to whom is calling the shots. What are these?" Olivia asked, glancing over the headlines.

"Tomorrow's headlines. I managed to get some of them."

"You have got to be kidding me. These are horrible." Olivia picked one newspaper up and read the headline. "New Director Goes Berserk, Attacks President."

"You can blame all of that on Gage. Some newspapers are even questioning her capability to carry out her duties."

Olivia glanced at the clock before grabbing the television remote and flipping the tv on. Cyrus Beene, her Chief-of-Staff, had recorded the CNN broadcast for her earlier. She pressed the play button and waited to see what damage had been done.

"Welcome back. Well, if you missed the President's press conference today, you missed quite a bit of excitement." One of the news anchors stated.

"You know, Kelli, in most Presidential conferences regarding the Cabinet, the President allows those people to speak, they answer questions…" The second news anchor, a young man with brown hair and glasses, began.

"And Brian, that is exactly what happened." Kelli interjected.

"That is what happened until a reporter asked the President who her new FBI Director was going to be. After a slight delay, the President finally announced that Gage Adlee, who appeared to have arrived late, would be the new Director."

"And then the new Director practically attacked the President. Take a look at this clip." Kelli said as the clip of earlier filled the screen. Olivia fast forwarded through the clip, knowing all too well what had happened. She pressed play once the clip had ended. Both reporters were laughing.

"That was ridiculous! What are this woman's qualifications anyway?" Kelli demanded, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Actually, her credentials aren't that bad. She served in the Army Reserves for two years before beginning work for the FBI as a special agent. She and the President have a long history of working together." Brian countered.

"I still wonder what the logic behind this appointment was…"

There Olivia muted the volume and turned to look at Abby.

"What did Luke write for tomorrow?" Abby questioned.

"Nothing yet. I gave him the rest of the evening off." Olivia responded, piling the newspapers into one pile on her desk.

"Why?"

"To mess with Gage." Olivia said, handing the newspapers to Abby, who grabbed them, shook her head, and left the room. Olivia sighed and placed her head in her hands, rubbing her forehead as she felt a headache beginning.


	8. Chapter 8

_Fitz_

Fitz walked into the kitchen, intent on getting a cup of coffee. Ada stood at the counter, making a pot. Ada was like everyone's grandmother. She was a good thirty years older than Fitz and Olivia and had served as Olivia's personal secretary when Olivia was still governor.

"You always seem to read my mind." Fitz stated, coming to a stop across the counter from Ada.

"Your wife seems to read your mind quite well. I was planning on finishing thank you notes until she asked me to do this." Ada chuckled, filling the coffee pot with water.

"Why are you in such a hurry to finish the cards?" Fitz questioned, leaning his elbows on the black granite counter.

"I was hoping that if I finished the cards tonight I could go to my grandson's career day at school tomorrow." She explained, dumping the water into the coffee machine. Fitz placed his hand on top of her pale one, stilling her movements.

"Go finish the cards. I'll finish the coffee and bring it up. You like yours black, right?" He asked.

"Yes. Thank you." She smiled before walking out of the room.

The coffee had already started dripping into the coffee pot when Fitz heard the door open. Luke stumbled into the kitchen with Gage in his arms, out cold. _What the hell had those two done?_

"Hey." Luke greeted.

"Hey. I take it your date went well." Fitz stated, nodding at Gage.

"Real well...How mad do you think the President will be tomorrow when she sees pictures on the front cover?" He questioned with a nervous chuckle.

"She did something worse than that conference?" Fitz raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone wanted to talk to the new Director who had assaulted the president." Luke explained with a shrug as Fitz began filling three coffee cups with coffee, the Colombian brew filling the room with an intoxicating odor.

"Okay then… You can put her in one of the guest rooms upstairs." Fitz said, putting two spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee.

"Alright. I think I'm going to spend the night with her to make sure she's okay." Luke responded, heading toward the door.

"Well aren't you getting serious." Fitz laughed, picking the tray with the coffee up and holding the wood door for Luke.

"I think she might be the one." Luke commented before disappearing down the hall.

Fitz shook his head before heading in the direction of the Oval. Gage wasn't going to be too thrilled when she found out what Luke had just said. She hated commitment.

* * *

"Here you go." Fitz said, coming to a stop in front of Ada's desk and setting her coffee down.

"Aww. My knight in shining armor here to give me a reprieve from work." Ada winked, taking a sip of her coffee.

They both turned at the sound of Olivia clearing her throat. Fitz smiled at her as she walked over to him and gave him a peck on the lips before speaking.

"Trying to steal my husband again?"

"Would I do that?" Ada exclaimed in a shrill voice, covering her heart with her hands and gasping in shock.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Olivia joked, grabbing her coffee off the tray.

"You caught me." Ada sighed. "If only my husband would be half so kind as to make me a cup of coffee."

"In that case, I think I can forgive you." Olivia winked, walking back into her office before calling over her shoulder.

"It's 9:30. Go home! You can finish the cards Wednesday."

"How does she know I need tomorrow off?" Ada questioned, giving Fitz an accusing look.

"She is the President. It's her job." Fitz shrugged, turning to follow his wife into her office.

"Well I'm heading out then. Night." Ada called to his retreating back.

"Night."

Fitz closed the door behind him as he walked into the Oval. He sat the tray on the small oak coffee table before walking behind Olivia's desk chair and placing his hands on her small, delicate shoulders. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as he began massaging the tension out. He smiled slightly to himself as he leaned forward and claimed her lips as his. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him in place and deepening their kiss. Fitz chuckled when she finally let go and perched himself on her desk, facing her.

"Long day?" Fitz asked softly as she leaned back in her chair.

"You have absolutely no idea." She replied, staring at Fitz through hooded eyes.

"That bad huh?"

"Not really. Just...stressful." She sighed, closing her eyes.

"Looks like you're tired." Fitz commented, playing with a pen on her desk.

"I still have a few more things to do." She yawned, leaning forward and placing her hands on her desk.

"You're too tired to finish tonight." Fitz stated, crossing his arms.

"I'm fine." She yawned again.

"Like hell you are." Fitz scoffed.

"I am." She insisted, unconvincingly.

"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice." Fitz glowered at her, knowing all too well that given the chance, she would overexert herself.

"We've been married how long and you expect me to let you by with doing anything the easy way?" She rolled her eyes.

"Fine then." Fitz said, hopping off the desk and easily slinging her over his shoulder.

"Fitzgerald, put me down!" Olivia shrieked, playfully banging her tiny fists against his back.

"Not a chance darling." Fitz smirked, turning off the light and carrying her out of the office and into the hallway. The Secret Service agents standing guard by the door instantly relaxed once they noticed that Olivia's shrieking was not due to some catastrophe. Agent Tom winked at Fitz, causing him to laugh and Olivia to demand,

"What is so funny?"

"Nothing, honey." Fitz smirked continuing down the hall.

* * *

Fitz placed Olivia on the floor and shut the door once they were in their bedroom. Olivia ran a hand through her hair and began looking around.

"Fitz, where is my laptop?" Olivia questioned, looking at him.

"I will tell you tomorrow." Fitz winked, pulling his shirt over is head and throwing it into the dirty clothes hamper on his way to the bathroom. He heard Olivia sigh and silently laughed to himself as he closed the door.

Olivia was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair, when he emerged minutes later, having changed into a pair of sweatpants and brushed his teeth. Olivia had changed into a pair of blue, silky pajamas.

"What's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Fitz asked, flipping the covers back on the bed.

"Fixing Gage's mess, visiting the children's school, and other things." She replied, standing and walking to the bed.

"Other things?" Fitz probed as they climbed in bed and pulled the covers to their chins.

"As in classified." Olivia responded, turning the light off and snuggling beside him.

"Stop." Olivia said, swatting his hands away and turning her head to stare at him.

"Please." He begged, turning on his side and smiling at her.

"No. I'm too tired." She stated, closing her eyes.

"Fine but there is no way that excuse is working in the morning." He chuckled, noticing the small smile on Olivia's face as he closed his eyes.


End file.
